How to Wean a Lamb

Weaning is the process of training newborn animals to transition their feeding from the milk their mothers provide to the feed you offer. You can wean your lambs yourself, rather than letting nature take its course. This gives you the power to control the weaning process while managing your lamb's stress. A proper weaning process is essential for the healthy development of livestock. Early weaning will help your ewes transition back to breeding earlier, while late weaning can be less stressful overall for the ewe and her lambs. Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of each will help you make the decision as to when to begin weaning your lambs.

Things You'll Need

  • Feeder
  • Feed (nonurea)
  • Pens
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Instructions

    • 1

      Select when you intend to start weaning your lamb, based on your needs for the lamb and its mother. Normal weaning in intensely managed sheep operations usually takes place between 90 and 120 days. To ease the lactation responsibilities on ewes and return them to breeding earlier, wean the lambs earlier (usually before 90 days after birth). But remember that such early weaning can be stressful on both lambs and ewes, and it will require more pasture fields. To reduce stress on both the lambs and ewes while saving pasture space, consider weaning lambs late, at 90 to 120 days or more after birth. But remember: late weaning creates a risk of infecting your lambs with worm larvae. In addition, all late-weaned ram lambs must be castrated.

    • 2

      Remove the ewe from the lamb pen, but place her in a pen nearby. Allow the lambs to see and hear their mother during the weaning process. Remember that the weaning process is very stressful on lambs, and hearing their ewe nearby can help ease the stress. Provide clean water in the lamb's pen, and clean their water regularly to reduce the chance of disease. Place feeders in the pens with your lambs, and move the lambs to the feeders a few times so they know where they should go to eat.

    • 3

      Use a consistent, nonurea feed for at least seven to 10 days after the weaning process begins. Monitor your lambs closely, watching for any signs of illness, overeating or lack of appetite or overeating. Vaccinate your lambs on their natural vaccination schedule; usually, that's at 10 weeks, with a booster shot two to four weeks later. Consult your veterinarian if you notice any eating disorders, illness or developmental problems with your lambs. Most American sheep breeds normally have single births, but some European breeds deliver multiples more than half the time. If needed, as with multiple births, keep siblings together during the weaning process to reduce the stress on your lambs.

    • 4

      Reduce the weaning stress by allowing fence-line contact between the ewe and her lambs. Check your fence carefully to make sure there are no openings large enough to allow lambs to slip under or through the fence and make it into the ewe's pen. If necessary, place a long piece of wood at the bottom of the fence line to prevent your lambs from feeding through the fence. Watch your lambs closely to make sure they're not still feeding from the ewe, and that they're eating the feed you provide.